Boomer,

Just when you thought we would never have anything in common... We too have a Maytag dishwasher and have had the exact door handle failure you described. Twice!!! Our diswasher is a "Maytag Quiet Series 300 model MDB-3."

The second failure is mimicking the first failure to a tee: The first notice of a problem the nubs break and the handle is flimsy. The good news is that you can still open the dishwasher if you press hard enough. Eventually the latch breaks altoghether and fails completely. Then you have to decide to either fix the problem or purchase a new dishwasher.

We are currently in the phase where the nubs have broken and we can open the dishwasher if we press the handle hard enough.

Like Mr. B, my husband saved us the labor cost on our first latch break since it was fairly easy to repair. When we went to purchase the part, the guy at the appliance repair supply house knew precisely what the problem was since he had sold numerous latch mechanisims to other Maytag dishwasher owners who were experiencing the same problem.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give you any advice on what brands are considered longer lasting. Good luck in your pursuit to find a long lasting sturdy dishwasher.